Deportation protection, work permits ready for Venezuelans in Illinois

[September 22, 2023]  By Greg Bishop | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – With the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announcing Venezuela is not safe for migrants to return, thousands of the migrants in Illinois seeking asylum will have temporary deportation protection and could get work permits.

The 18-month designation form DHS announced Wednesday is because the agency deemed Venezuela not safe for migrants to return to.

Alejandro Mayorkas, DHS secretary, determined an 18-month TPS extension and re-designation are warranted based on Venezuela’s “increased instability and lack of safety due to the enduring humanitarian, security, political, and environmental conditions,” according to the agency.

The move allows such asylum seekers to get employment authorization. This only applies to those in the U.S. prior to July 31.

“[I]t is critical that Venezuelans understand that those who have arrived here after July 31, 2023 are not eligible for such protection, and instead will be removed when they are found to not have a legal basis to stay,” Mayorkas said in a statement.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker welcomed the news of Temporary Protected Status and work prospects for such Venezuelans.

“Reducing wait times for employment approvals and expanding protection status for those coming from Venezuela will get people working and on a path to building a better future for themselves and their families,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement. “In Illinois, we’re facing worker shortages in critical industries like hospitality, food processing, health care, and transportation, and these additional workers will help relieve those shortages and the burden they place on employers.”

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. - BlueRoomStream

According to data compiled by Chicago aldermen, nearly 5,000 of the 14,000 newly arrived migrants since last year are Venezuelan. It’s unclear how many are able bodied workers.

Last month, Illinois Restaurant Association’s Sam Sanchez pushed for such work permits.

“The migrants are the backbone of our industry, in the hospitality industry and the whole country,” Sanchez said Aug. 30. “It’s important that we move forward with this.”

At that same news conference, Illinois Manufacturers' Association President and CEO Mark Denzler said employers are looking for workers and migrants can fill that role.

“Between pre-pandemic, January of 2020 and July of 2023, the immigrant labor force in the United States grew 9.5%. The native born workforce grew by 1.5%,” Denzler said. “Four times higher growth among immigrants.”

State Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, manages a farm in downstate Illinois. He said farmers welcome migrant workers, as long as they’re properly vetted. Last month, he shared his concerns over relaxing that.

“There’s nothing set up for this to work, you know, where the programs that we have that we use are vetted,” Meier told The Center Square. “We know who’s coming. You’ve got some background on them.”

Nationwide, DHS said there are approximately 242,700 TPS beneficiaries under Venezuela’s existing TPS designation. An additional approximately 472,000 Venezuela migrants in the U.S. may be eligible under the re-designation.